Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Alex Vesia is mourning the death of his baby daughter after missing the team’s World Series victory.
Vesia announced on Instagram Friday that he and his wife Kayla lost their daughter, Sterling Sol Vesia, on Oct. 26. The Dodgers reliever wrote that there were “no words to describe the pain we’re going through but we hold her in our hearts and cherish every second we had with her.” He also thanked the Dodgers organization for their support.
Vesia and his wife had announced her pregnancy in April.
The Dodgers had announced prior to the World Series that Vesia would not be on the roster as he and his wife “navigate a deeply personal family matter.” No further details had been announced before Friday, but members of both the Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays wore Vesia’s No. 51 on their caps during the series.
Vesia posted a 3.02 ERA and 0.99 WHIP across 68 regular-season games and had not allowed a run in six straight postseason outings. He made two appearances in the wild-card series against the Cincinnati Reds, three in the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies, and two in the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers.
